1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a package capable of easily warming food contained therein without using fire.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, food is heated in a pan for cooking by heat generated by burning a pocket fuel, such as a solid fuel, when eating the same at a camp.
Some apartment houses for aged people prohibit the use of fire in the apartments to prevent fires. Some people desire to warm up box lunches when taking lunches in vehicles during trips.
Techniques of easily warming food without using fire have been developed. A known technique combines a heating means employing quicklime with a package for containing an alcoholic drink, such as sake, or a lunch to warm up the alcoholic drink or the lunch before taking the same.
The heating means combined with the package for containing an alcoholic drink or a lunch includes a water bag for containing water as a heat generation promoting agent, disposed near quicklime. The water bag is torn with a pin or a string to make the water contained in the water bag and quicklime interact for an exothermic reaction. However, children and aged people have difficulty in using the pin or the string to tear the water bag, and force of a magnitude exceeding a certain level must be used to tear the water back. This known package for containing the alcoholic drink or the lunch is based on a limited technique of heating a specific matter and is incapable of warming up matters other than the specific matter, such as water and retort pouch food (curry).
The present invention has been made in view of the aforesaid problems and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a package provided with a tank sealed by a sealing member and a projection that tears the sealing member sealing the tank to warm up food contained therein, and capable of being easily handled by aged people and children.
A package according to the present invention comprises: an outer vessel having a bottom wall and projections projecting upward from the bottom wall; an inner vessel placed in the outer vessel and having a bottom wall defining a heat generating block containing space together with the bottom wall of the outer vessel and defining a tank containing space above the projections; a heat generating block placed in the heat generating block containing space; and a tank sealed by a sealing member, containing a heat generation promoting agent, having recesses in which the projections of the outer vessel engage and placed in the tank containing space; wherein the heat generation promoting agent is able to move and come into contact with the heat generating block when the sealing member is broken by separating the tank from the projections, inverting the tank and pressing sealing member of the tank against the projections.
Preferably, the projections are tapered upward.
Preferably, each of the projections has a sharp point.
Preferably, the projections engage in the recesses of the tank, respectively, so as to restrain the tank from lateral movement.
Preferably, the heat generating block containing space is formed so that the heat generating block is extended along the outer surface of the bottom wall of the inner vessel.
Preferably, the heat generating block is a solid body formed by shaping and hardening a mixture of magnesium powder and a binder.
Preferably, the heat generation promoting agent is water or salt water.
Preferably, an open end of the outer vessel is covered with a lid.
Preferably, the inner vessel is capable of containing foods for lunch.
Preferably, the inner vessel is capable of containing a liquid, such as water or tea.